Webcams show bear ‘Cinder’ recovering from burns

A bear transported to a Lake Tahoe wildlife center after being badly burned in a forest fire in Washington was recovering Tuesday — and you can watch her progress above on a live webcam.

The bear, named Cinder after her rescue, was found pulling herself by her elbows because all four of her paws were burned. She’s about 18 months old and was also burned on her nose, ears and stomach, said Cheryl Millham, the executive director of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, a decades-old nonprofit that helps animals recover and returns them to the wild.

There’s some good news for all those worrying: Cinder, who’s been given antibiotics and painkillers, has a good appetite and is currently in stable condition. A volunteer veterinarian, Kevin Willitts, has been overseeing her care.

This isn’t the first time that Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care has stitched up a hurting bear. In fact, Washington officials contacted the center over the weekend after hearing about how it had helped a bear cub recover from severe burns from Shasta County fires in 2008. That bear, Lil’ Smokey, had all four of his paws badly burned, but was able to return to the wild.